Reading

Fire (Kristin Cashore)

Posted in Books, Kindle, Reading on February 7th, 2011 by Janet – 1 Comment

Fire (Seven Kingdoms, #2)Fire by Kristin Cashore

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It’s a rare book that can keep me up past my bedtime, but this one did. Like Kristin Cashore’s Graceling before it, there’s something about the Seven Kingdoms stories that keeps me reading. Fire reads a bit more like a romance, however, which did dampen my enthusiasm a bit. And, like Graceling, there are several themes in the book that keep me from confidently recommending it as a Young Adult read. Bottom line is that for me, a good story (even a predictable one), still trumps minor annoyances like Kristin Cashore’s author’s odd choices for character names.

I’d recommend it to anybody who enjoys well-crafted mythical worlds.

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Hat Heads

Posted in Books, Knitting, Reading on December 5th, 2010 by Janet – 2 Comments

HatHeads: 1 Man + 2 Knitting Needles = 50 Fun Hat DesignsHatHeads: 1 Man + 2 Knitting Needles = 50 Fun Hat Designs by Trond Anfinnsen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and love the concept of knitting hats and documenting with photos and bios of the recipients. The author took up knitting after watching one of his high-energy friends sitting calmly and knitting:

” . . . when he was knitting, he was at rest, gathering energy and losing himself in thought. Knitting seemed like a kind of meditation, directing his energy inward.

For Trond Anfinnsen, knitting turned out to be what he imagined it would be — relaxing and meditative. I couldn’t agree more.



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